Needle motion for axminster looms



28, 1937. w W BE T ON 2,103,826

NEEDLE MOTION FOR AXMINSTER LOOMS Filed Dec. 21, 1956 Inventor W| "lam W. Robertson Attovney Patented Dec. 28, 1937 s I PATENT OFFICE NEEDLE MOTION FOR AXMINSTER LOOMS William W. Robertson; Northboro, Mass, assign- 1 UNITED STATE or to Crompton &

Knowles Loom Works,

Worcester, Massi, a corporation of Massachw setts 5 Claims.

This invention relates to improvements in needle motions for Axminster looms and it is the general object of the invention to provide mechanism whereby a continuously running actuator can be connected to the needle in such a way as to permit a dwell in the motion of the needle while the actuator continues to move.

In Axminster looms as heretofore constructed the needle has been driven by a large intermittent gear having spaced sectors of gear teeth to drive a pinion connected to the rope drum'of the needle motion. A second. pinion secured to the shaft of the drum meshes with a gear segment whichis driven by connections from the while the pin moves during the non-driving part of its stroke. I 7

It is a further object of my present invention to provide a needle motion constructed to give the needle a rapid motion between the starting and ending of its insertion movement intothe shed. This result I accomplish by combining two accelerating motions one of which is derived from a rotating crank arm. The other accelerating motion is caused by a driving pin which enters a slotted driven element and approaches the pivot of the latter while deriving an acceler- 1 ating motion from the crank arm.

With these and other objects in view which first pinion. In this form of construction a come will appear as the description proceeds, my in- 15 paratively large and heavy part of the needle vention resides in the combinationand arrangemotion is stopped and started alternately with ment of parts hereinafter described'and set forth; considerable loss of power. It is an important In the accompanying drawing, wherein a conobject of my present invention to eliminate the venient embodiment of my invention is set forth,

intermittent gear and the pinion which it oper Fig. 1 is a front elevation of a needle motion ates and substitute continuously running mechor an Axmin r 1 0 av y invention panism to drive the needle. plied thereto, I In the operation of an Axminster loom the Fig. 2 is a vertical section on' line 2-2 of Fig. needle has a weft layingstroke while the lay is and in rear position and the needle must be out of Figs. 3 and 4 are diagrammatic'vi'ews showing 25 the shed during the forward beat of the lay. The the parts in d e e t positions reason for the intermittent gear as heretofore Referring to the d aw I have ShOWIl a 6 used has been to'hold the needle at rest durin dle frame 10 which in the present instance will the forward beat of the lay. My present invenbe located at the right of the Axminster loom,

: tion contemplates the provision of a dwell of the the loom proper together with its weaving in- 30 needle during continuous operation of the greater strumentalities not being set forth in the drawpart of the driving actuator connections thereing but being located at the left of the strucfor. It is accordingly a further object of my inture shown in Fig. 1. The frame supports a neevention to provide a dwell motion between a condle rail ll onwhich slides a needle carriage I2 "tinuously moving actuator and the pinion on the to support the needle N. A cable or cord i3 35 drum shaft, the dwell motion locking the needle drives the carriage and has'one. end extended in its stationary position during the laybeat-up around asheave l4 rotating-on a stud l5 and is and at the same time permitting continuous attached to a drum 16, while the other end ex operation of the actuator. tends around a movable sheave "Carried by. and

403 It is a more particular object of my present rotatable on a pivoted carrier l8, and this sec- 40, invention to'provide a continuously rotating'acond endof the cable is also connected to the tuator. such as a crank arm, and cause the same drum IS. The mounting for the sheave l'l may to rock an operating pin which enters the slot'of be substantially the same as set forth in my a driven element having a portion meshing with prior Patent No. 1,724,315. v

45.-the pinion on the drum shaft. Associated with As the drum turns in one direction needle N 45. the driving pin is a dwell surface which co acts will be given a longitudinal motion along the rail with a, similar surface on the driven element to H and beinserted into the shed not shown of lock the pinion against rotation while the operthe loom, and when the drum is reversed the ating pin continues to move. This result may be needle is moved out of the shed. The needle accomplished by providing the driving member then has a period of inaction or dwell duringv 50 with a slot which is entered by the pin during which the lay not shown beats up the weft laid the needle moving part of the pin motion, the. by the needle. In order that the drum may be pin to moveout of the slot so that a lock may given these opposite rotations it is secured to a come into operation by movement of the driven shaft l -9 having keyedthereto. a relatively small 5 i element and permit the needle to remain at rest pinion 2D, and the latter is driven by mechanism forming the subject matter of my present invention. The matter thus far described may be of the usual construction.

The loom is also provided with a continuously running gear 25 on a shaft 25 secured to and rotating with a relatively large bevel gear 21. The latter meshes with a bevel pinion 28 secured to a shaft 29 rotating in suitable bearings and having keyed thereto a crank arm 30 which in the present instance rotates in the direction of arrow a, Fig. 1. The crank arm 3|] is given a continuous and preferably constant rotation, hence the shaft 29, bevel pinion 28, and large gears 25 and 21 turn continuously instead of intermittntly, as in the case of Axminster looms as heretofore constructed.

In carrying my present invention into effect I provide a rocking shaft 40 carried by a bearing 4| supported by the needle frame I 3 and secured to the shaft is a segment 42 having rack teeth 44 which mesh with the pinion 20. A driven element 45 secured to the shaft 40 rocks with the segment 42. The latter may be made separate from the element 45 if desired, in which case both of these parts will be secured to the shaft 45 in adjusted angular position.

The driven element 45 has a slot 50 radial with respect to shaft 45 and is provided on the lower edge thereof with arcuate locking surfaces 5| and 52 which may be at' the right and left, respectively, of the slot 55, as :viewed in Fig. 1. The slot 55 is proportioned to receive a driving pin 55 mounted on an oscillating carrier arm 56 pivoted on. a stud 51 located below shaft 4!] and preferably in alignment with the shafts IS and 40. A connector 58 is attached to crank arm 30 as at 59 and to the carrier arm 55 by a stud 50 adjustable toward and from axis 5'! in a slot 6| in arm'56, Adjustment in the angular relations between arms 30 and 55 is obtained by means of rod head 52 on connector 58. These two adjustments afford means to described.

In order that the needle may be held at rest during the beat-up of the lay arm 55 is provided with an arcuate lock 75 having a locking surface 76 which preferably is concentric with the axis 51. This lock may be shaped and related with respect to the driving pin 55 as suggested in the drawing and is adapted for engagement with the arcuate surface 5|. The latter has preferably a radius equal to that of surface 76.

As will be set forth hereinafter the structure thus far described is for the purpose of providing a dwell in the needle motion while the lay is beating-up, but it may also be desired to provide a slight dwell on the part of the needle motion when the latter is inserted into the shed to give the selvage shuttle at the opposite end of the loom not shown herein more time to pass through the loop of weft laid by the needle. If this latter dwell is desired I may provide the arm 56 with a second look 10 having an arcuate surface 1| concentric with axis 5'! and adapted for engagement with the surface 52 which is similar to surface 5|. This second look is not considered essential inasmuch as the gradual retardation of the needle as the latter approaches the selvage shuttle due to the characteristics of the crank motion of arm 30 will in most instances give sufi'icient pause on the part of the needle to permit the proper cooperation thereof with the selvage shuttle. I

In operation, the .parts will be in the position suggested in dotted lines in'Fig. 3 at the beginning vary the dwell motions to be of a needle inserting motion, the surfaces 5| engaging surface 16 to lock segment 42 and the pin 55 spaced from and to the left of slot 50. As arm 56 moves to the right pin 55 will enter slot 50 as surface 16 leaves surface 5| The pin will engage the right hand wall of the slot and give a left hand angular motion to the element 45, thereby rocking the segment 42 to the left and causing a right hand rotation of pinion 20. As the crank arm 35 continues to turn the segment pinion 20 will approach the position of Fig. l with a motion which accelerates due to two factors, namely, the crank arm 35 is approaching a perpendiculanrelatmnship with respect to connector 58, and pin 55 is ap proaching shaft 45. Continued rotation of shaft 29 will move pin 55 to the outer end of slot 55, as shown in Fig. 4. This causes surface 52 to engage surface ll in substantial alignment with the link 58 and as pin 55 moves to the right away from element 45 to the full line position of Fig. 3 the segment will be locked. The needle is now fully inserted into the shed and the dwell during the locking of segment 42 permits the selvage shuttle to operate.

As the crank arm 3% falls from the full line position of Fig. 3 the pin 55 will engage the left hand wall of the slot 50 and cause a reverse or right hand rocking of segment 42 to reverse the drum to return the needle. As the driven element 45 continues to rock the driving pin will leave the slot when the needle is fully out of the shed, and at this time the left hand end of arcuate surface 15 will engage the right hand end of surface 5|. When in this position the latter surface will be substantially concentric with the axis 51.

Continued rotation of the crank arm will move pin 55 to the left away from element 45, and the latter together with the segment and needle will remain at rest during the beat up of the lay.

It will be seen therefore if it be desired to shorten the dwell of the needle when the latter is in the shed the connector 58 will be lengthened so that the pin will not be as far from slot 50 as indicated in full lines in Fig. 3 when crank arm 35 is to the right. If the total throw of arm 56 is tobe reduced, stud 69 will be moved up in slot 6|. These two adjustments afford considerable range in regard to rate of needle motion and also its dwell periods.

As ordinarily constructed the circumference of the drum is such that the latter will require more than one complete rotation in Wide looms and the length of the gear rack 44 on the segment 42 together with the amount of angular motion imparted to the segment will be such as to give the drum the requisite amount of angular motion for a complete insertion of the needle. The pinion need not necessarily make an aliquot number of rotations.

From the foregoing it will be seen that I have provided means for holding the needle at rest while the greater part of the driving mechanism therefor continues to move, the heavy gearing and all of the parts between the member 45 and shaft 25 being permitted to operate continuously. In this connection it may be considered that the pin 55 has a working or needle inserting stroke and also an idle or non-inserting stroke for each complete motion from one extreme position to the left to the next succeeding extreme position to the right. It will also be seen that the accelerations due to the crank arm and movement of the driving pin toward the axis of the segment serve to give a quick motion to the needle. The amount of dwell can be varied by adjustment of the Q parting from the spirit and scope of the invention and I do not wish to be limited to the details herein disclosed, but what I claim is:

1. In a needle motion for an Axminster loom,

a drum to be rotated to actuate the needle, a'

pinion fixed with respect to and rotating with the drum, a segment gear meshing with the pinion at all times, a driven element fixed with respect to the segment and having a slot and looking surface, a constantly moving crank arm, an actuating pin reciprocated by the crank arm and having a stroke part of which is working and part of which is non-working, and a lock moving with the pin, the crank arm to cause the pin to enter the slot and move the driven element during the working part of the stroke of the pin, and at the conclusion of the latter move the locking surface of the element into holding relation With respect to the locking surface of the pin to prevent movement of the segment during the non-working part of the stroke of the pin.

2. In a needle motion for an Axminster loom, a drum to be rotated to actuate the needle, a pinion fixed with respect to and rotating with the drum, a gear segment meshing with the pinion at alltimes, a driven element secured to the segment and having a slot and a locking surface, a reciprocating driving pin having a stroke part of which is working and part of which is nonworking, and a lock moving with the pin, the pin during the working part of the stroke thereof being located in the slot to effect turning of the element to cause movement of the segment and rotation of the pinion, said pin at the conclusion of the working stroke thereof effective to cause mutual engagement between the locking surface and the lock during the non-working part of the stroke of the pin to prevent movement of the segment and rotation of the pinion.

3. In a needle motionfor an Axminster loom, a drum to be rotated to actuate the needle, a pinion ,fixed with respect to and rotated with the drum, a segment meshing with the pinion at all times, a pivot for the segment, a driven element fixed with respect to the segment and having a slot substantially radial with respect to the pivot of the segment, an actuating pin reciprocating along an arcuate path and having a stroke part of which is working and part of which is nonworking, the pin to enter the slot and cause motion of the element and segment during the working part of the stroke thereof and moving toward the pivot during the first part of the working part of the stroke thereof, and locking means including surfaces moving with the pin and the element brought into mutual engagement by movement of the pin during the non-working part of the stroke thereof to prevent movement of the segment about the pivot thereof.

4. In a needle motion for an Axminster loom, a drum to be rotated to actuate the needle, a pinion fixed with respect to and rotating with the drum, a gear segment meshing with the pinion'at all times, a pivot for the segment, a driven element fixed with respect to the segment and having a slot therein extending radially from the pivot of the segment, a carrier arm, a pivot therefor in substantial alignment with the axes of the drum and segment and located beyond the segment pivot with respect to the drum, an actuating pin on the carrier arm, a constantly r0- tating crank arm, and a connector attaching the crank arm to the carrier arm tomove the latter with an accelerating speed during part of the rotation of the crank arm, the pin when entering the slot causing angular movement of the driven element and segment to rotate the pinion and approaching the axis of the segment during the time that the crank arm is driving the connector at an accelerating rate of speed.

5. In a needle motion for an Axminster loom, a drum to be rotated to drive the needle, means defining an axis for the drum, a-pinion fixed with respect'to said means and rotating with the drum, a gear segment meshing with the pinion, a pivot for the segment spaced from the axis of the drum,

a driven element fixed with respect to the segment and having therein a slot substantially radial with respect to the pivot for the segment, an oscillating arm, a pivotal mounting for the arm mounted in substantial alignment with the axis of the drum and pivotal support for the segment and lying beyond the latter with respect to the drum axis, a driving pin carried by the oscillating arm, a constantly rotating crank arm, and a connector attached to the crank arm and receiving an accelerated motion therefrom during part of the rotation of the crank arm, said connector attached to the oscillating arm, the pin to enter the slot and approach the pivot of the segment when the connector is moving with an accelerated motion. I

' WILLIAM W. ROBERTSON. 

